Core Examples from Modern Estuarine Tidal Bars,

Tillamook Bay, Oregon

Rares Bistran*
University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
rares.bistran@ualberta.ca
David Herbers, Murray Gingras, John-Paul Zonneveld, and S. George Pemberton
University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Introduction
Tidal sand bars are ideal estuarine morphologic features to use as modern analogues in understanding
the complex sediment distribution of ancient estuarine environments, many of which host large
hydrocarbon resources (e.g. McMurray Formation in Alberta). Tidal bars may accrete both laterally and
vertically, resulting in complex stratal geometries and sediment distributions. Heterolithic Stratification
and Inclined Heterolithic Stratification (Thomas et. al, 1987) are common characteristics of inner and
middle estuary tidal bars at Tillamook Bay. Due to changes in sediment source, and the interplay
between tidal and fluvial currents and sediment reworking, large variations appear in the
sedimentological and ichnological character of Inclined Heterolithic Stratification (IHS). At Tillamook
Bay, IHS is observed in the inner and middle estuary, being the most prominent in the middle estuary
bars. In the outer estuary bars, IHS is largely absent and not recognized.

Study Area
Tillamook Bay is located on the coastline of the state of Oregon, United States, approximately 100 km
west of the city of Portland (Figure 1). It is a restricted bay, separated from the Pacific Ocean by the 5
km long Bayocean Peninsula. The bay is approximately 10 km long in a northwest-southeast direction
and 3.4 km wide, but averages only 2 meters depth over a 34 km2 area. It is a mesotidal estuary, with a
mean tidal range of 1.7 m and a diurnal range of 2.3 m. Five major rivers, comprising a watershed of
1,546 km2, deliver sediment to Tillamook Bay. Four of the rivers enter the bay at the southeast part and
deliver the vast majority of mud and sand found within the inner and middle estuary. The outer estuary
consists of clean, well sorted sands, both of marine and terrestrial origin (Komar, 1997, and Komar et.
al. 2004).
The inner estuary is characterized by dominantly muddy channel fills and alternating layers of medium
sand and mud at the river mouths. More complex sediment distributions are characteristic of the middle
estuary mixed sand and mud IHS; the middle estuary deposits are also the most intensely bioturbated.
The clean, well sorted sands of the outer estuary are sparsely bioturbated.

Methods
A total of twenty-four cores were collected in the summer of 2011. Core locations are indicated in
Figure 2, with the exception of three cores, which were collected further upstream in the inner estuary
river channels, and lie outside of the map area. Nine cores were selected as examples for this core
presentation, and their locations are indicated in Figure 2. Seven of the nine cores were selected from
locations in the inner and middle estuary, due to the complexity of deposits found there, and therefore
the higher amount of information that can be discussed. Cores were collected through vibracoring using

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3 meter long, 8 cm inside diameter, aluminium pipes. Recovery ranged from as much as 2.5 meters in
the middle estuary, to as little as 1 meter in the outer estuary. In the university lab, the pipes were cut
longitudinally in half; the sediment in one half was x-rayed and sampled for grain size and total organic
carbon (TOC) analyses, and the sediment in the other half was photographed and described. Sandmud ratios were calculated, and sedimentological and neoichnological characteristics were observed
and described. Neoichnological characteristics and related bioturbation intensity were assigned a
bioturbation index (BI) ranging from 0-6, as suggested by Reineck (1963) and modified by Taylor and
Goldring (1993).

Examples
The inner estuary channels in the southeastern part of the bay are mud-dominated and lack
bioturbation. At the river mouths of the inner estuary, poorly sorted, coarse and medium-grained sands
mixed with mud (figure 3) are observed locally in the form of inclined heterolithic stratification (IHS). In
this portion, bioturbation diversity and intensity are low, and appear mostly in the form of Thallasinoides
and Arenicolites. The grain size decreases gradually and the sands become better sorted in the inner to
middle estuary transition zone.
The middle estuary is characterized by dominantly mixed fine sand and mud (figure 4). Bioturbation
intensity in the IHS deposits, increases away from tidal channels and upwards into current and waverippled, bioturbated tidal flat deposits. Middle estuary bioturbation consists of a high-diversity, highabundance suite of Skolithos, Thallasinoides, Arenicolites, Planolites, Paleophycos, and Siphonichnus.
Bioturbation intensity is moderate to high in the middle estuary, with a bioturbation index (BI) commonly
ranging from 2 to 5 in this portion.
Outer estuary bioturbation diversity is moderate, appearing mainly in the form of Skolithos and
Siphonichnus. The BI ranges from 0 to 3. The sand bars in the outer estuary are smaller in total volume
due to a larger tidal prism in this portion, relative to the inner and middle estuary bars. However, both
tides and waves influence the outer estuary bars and, as a result, the bars contain clean, well-sorted
medium-grained sands (figure 4) with very low mud content, observed as low-relief dunes and low-relief
megaripples.

Reservoir Analog
Complex stratal geometries of Inclined Heterolithic Stratification (IHS) are observed in the inner and
middle estuary part of Tillamook Bay, but not in the outer estuary. In the inner estuary, poorly-sorted,
medium and coarse-grained sands mixed with mud, would have reduced permeability and porosity in
an ancient, subsurface reservoir. Bars of the inner estuary would be the most likely to be preserved
during a transgression, as a result of their location. Compared to middle estuary bars, inner estuary
bars would provide a reservoir with better properties, but smaller overall volume.
The fine-grained, well-sorted sands mixed with mud that characterize the IHS deposits of the middle
estuary, would have more greatly reduced porosity and permeability, due to a high percentage of mud
present. The reduction in reservoir quality would be counterbalanced by the total volume of middle
estuary bars, which is significantly greater than the volume of both inner and outer estuary bars.
The outer estuary at Tillamook Bay lacks IHS. The clean, well sorted, medium sands of the outer
estuary bars would be ideal hydrocarbon reservoirs. However, due to the high tidal prism in this part of
the estuary, the total volume of the sand bars is greatly restricted. In addition, the outer estuary bars
would be most susceptible to erosion during a transgression, and while characterized by high quality
reservoir properties, could become uneconomical to exploit if their volume is greatly reduced.
.

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References
Komar, P.D. (1997) Sediment Accumulation in Tillamook Bay, Oregon, a Large Drowned-River Estuary. Report for the
Tillamook Bay National Estuary Project. Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon
Komar, P.D., McManus, J., and Styllas, M. (2004) Sediment Accumulation in Tillamook Bay, Oregon: Natural Processes
versus Human Impacts. The Journal of Geology, v. 112, p.455-469.
Reineck, H.-E. 1963. Sedimentgefge im Bereichder sdlichen Nordsee. Abhandlungen der Senckenbergische
Naturforschende Gesellschaft, 505.
Taylor, A.M., and Goldring, R. 1993. Description and analysis of bioturbation and ichnofabric. Journal of the Geological
Society of London, v. 150, p. 141-148.
Thomas, R.G., Smith, D.G., Wood, J.M., Visser, J., Calverley-Range, E.A., and Koster, E.H. 1987. Inclined heterolithic
stratification Terminology, description, interpretation, and significance. Sedimentary Geology, v. 53, p. 123-179.

Figures

Figure 1. Location of Tillamook Bay, Oregon, United States.

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Figure 2. Locations of 21 cores collected at Tillamook Bay in summer 2011. The locations marked in
yellow and labeled with a core location (e.g. C1 = Core 1) are included in this presentation. All other
cores, which were collected but are not included in the presentation, are marked in red. Intertidal color
infrared aerial mosaic courtesy of Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD).

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Figure 3. Inner estuary core examples from the river mouths of two rivers that flow into Tillamook Bay,
Kilchis River and Tillamook River. Note the poor sorting of the sands, and relatively small percentage of
mud present. Wood fragments can also be observed, especially in the core collected at the mouth of
the Tillamook River. The Kilchis core was collected to the right of core C1 in Figure 2. The Tillamook
core location lies south of the map view in Figure 2.

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Figure 4. Middle estuary and outer estuary core examples. Note the complex Inclined Heterolithic
Stratification observed in the core example from the middle estuary, and the high percentage of mud
present. The relatively large features seen in this core are shell and wood fragments. The core example
from the outer estuary shows the clean, well-sorted medium sands. The grey, anoxic layer is observed
in the bottom half of this core.

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